Thomas c



(No Model.)

T. O. BEAUMONT. SIPHON PLUSHING TANK.

No. 487,464. Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

INVENTOR: WITNESSES. j

Z w y 3 /1113 Attmzieys,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS C. BEAUMONT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE HENRY HUBER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SIPHON FLUSHING-TANK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,464, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed June 10, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. BEAUMONT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Siphon Flushing-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides an improved construction of siphon flushing-tanks whereby the siphon is broken with certainty to terminate the flush and the volume of water discharged through the siphon may be controlled to a nicety.

My improved flushing-tank is constructed with a siphon in communication with the outflow-pipe and with a means for starting the siphonic outflow, consisting, usually, of a valve opening from the bottom portion of the tank into the outflow-pipe for admitting water to create a suction. At the crown of the siphon an air-admission valve is provided, which is normally closed, but is opened to admit air in order to break the siphon and terminate the flush. The opening of this valve is performed by a float mounted to rise and fall in the tank and connected to the valve through the medium of a lever or other suitable mechanical connection, so that upon the descent of the float by reason of the discharge of "the predetermined volume of water to constitute the flush the air-valve is opened and the siphon is broken.

In order to be able to adjust the volume of water to be discharged at will, I provide for a suitable adjustment in the mechanical connection between the float and air valve, so that the float will operate the valve upon falling to any one of a given range of levels, as is determined by the adjustment of the mechanical connection. The tank is refilled by means of any ordinary float-valve or ball-cock,

and by preference the float of this valve is utilized as the float for operating the air-valve.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved tank, showing it at rest. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it at the close of the flushing operation-that is, at the instant of breaking the siphon. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, let A designate Serial No. 436,187. (No model.)

the tank or cistern,B the siphon thereof,and C the outlet or flushing pipe. The siphon may be variously constructed, the constructions usual in the art being the goose-neck or bent-tube style and the concentric-tube style, the latter being the one shown in the drawings and consisting of an outer tube a, constituting the short leg of the siphon, and an inner tube b, constituting the long leg and communicating at its lower end with a casting 0, having two branches. The upper end of the outer tube a is closed in air-tight manner and is provided with the siphonbreaking air-valve or vent-valve O. The simplest and cheapest construction is that shown, wherein this valve 0 is of sufficientlylarge area to entirely cap over the top of the tube a, so that when closed it serves as the top of this tube and converts it into an ordinary cup or bell.

In order to start the siphon, a starting-valve D is usually provided, seated upon the seat d, comprising one of the branches of the casting 0. The valve D has a stem 6, connected to a lever f, which is operated by a chain or other device g, extending downward from its opposite arm. By pulling this chain the lever is tilted and the-valve opened, thereby permitting the water to flow out through the seat 01 and flushing-pipe O. The suction of this outflowing stream of water rarities the air in the long leg I) of the siphon and sucks the water over from the short leg (1 thereof, thereby starting the siphon. Having accomplished this purpose, the valve D may be dropped to its seat, and the flush will be continued by the outflow of water through the siphon in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

In order to break the siphon and stop the outflow, a float F is provided, mounted so that it may rise and fall in the tank, and connected through any sort of mechanical connection with the air-valve C, so that upon the descent of the float to a predetermined level it shall force the valve 0 open, and thereby admit air to the crown of the siphon to destroy the suction therein and stop the outflow of water. In the construction shown the float F is mounted on a pivoted lever E, which serves to guide the float in its movement. The valve 0' is also mounted on a lever G, pivoted to a bracket or lug h, projecting from the tube a.

To the opposite arm of the lever G is fastened an adjustable piece or arm G, from which projects a pin 2', passing under the lever E, as shown in Fig. 3. During the flushing the float F descends until its lever E encounters the pin 1', whereupon it carries the latter down with it, thereby tilting the lever G and lifting the valve 0', as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to enable the quantity of water discharged at a flush to be regulated at will, the position of the pin 11 relatively-to the lever G and valve C is made adjustable. This is conveniently accomplished by the construction shown, wherein the upright piece G is connected to the end of the lever G by a setscrew ,1, so that by loosening this screw the piece G may be set higher or lower relatively to the lever G, and fixed in any position by tightening the screw. In the construction shown the piece G is slotted to admit the screw, and the lever G has wings hearing on the piece G to prevent any lateral or tilting movement thereof. To give a longer flush, the piece G is set lower down, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, so that the float F will fall to a lower level before its lever encounters the pin i. The tank is refilled after the flush by means of any usual kind of floatvalve or ball-cock H. In order to utilize the float F for the performance of a double function, it is made to serve for operating this valve H in addition to the air-valve O by connecting the float-lever E to the valve in the usual manner.

It is to be observed that in my improved tank the air-valve O communicates with the crown of the siphon, where it is always in communication with the external air, and consequently is capable of admitting air to the siphon at any point of the flush, so that its operation is independent of the level to which the flushing-water in the tank may have fallen. It results from this that that my tank maybe made adjustable to give either a long flush or a very short flush, as may be required. In case a second flush shouldbe required before the tank has been refilled after the first flush, and while consequently the siphon is still broken by the air-valve being still open, such second flush may be secured by holding down the pull g, so as to retain the valve D open for a sufficient length of time.

It is apparent that the means for adjusting the length of the flush may be greatly varied. As an example of one among numerous modi fications that might be provided for this purpose, I have shown in Fig. 4 a construction wherein the float F carries a tappet 1, arranged over the tail m of the lever G, this tappet being mounted on an adjusting-screw stem 97. screwing in a boss 19 on the float or its lever E. By screwing the stem it up or down the tappet I may be adjusted to a shorter or longer distance above the tail m, and the duration of the flush thereby regulated.

For tanks used for flushing water-closets I prefer to add to the construction already described a special device for insuring a sufiicient afterflow to refill the bowl. Such afterflow may be secured by the normal operation of the tank by reason of the diminution of the flow upon the breaking of the siphon; but a more certain and more prolonged afterflow may be provided by the construction I will now describe. An outflow pipe or passage q of restricted area communicates with the flushing-pipe 0 independently of the siphon B and preferably by being formed asa branch of the casting c. This pipe q is provided with a small valve J, adapted to close it, and mounted on a lever r, the long arm of which carries a supplemental float K, adapted to move in the tank independently of the float F. When the tank is full, the water holds the float K elevated in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the valve J is consequently pressed to its seat; but when the flush occurs the falling of the water-level permits the float K to descend, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thereby opening the valve J and permittingasmallstream of water to flow out through the pipe g. This stream will continue after the cessation of the main flush through the siphon and until the tank has been wholly refilled, whereupon by the raising of the float K the valve J will be closed. The area of the pipe q must be so restricted that the outflow through it will be less than the inflow through the ball-cock; otherwise the tank could not be refilled. In practice only a very small stream is required to constitute the afterflow, a mere dribble or trickle of water being suflicient to refill the bowl.

Instead of using the starting-valve D any other means for starting the siphon that is known in the art may be substituted as an equivalent thereof. Among such means may be mentioned those wherein the water-level in the tank is constantly raised, in order to cause a rapid initial outflow through the siphon.

My invention is applicable to periodical flushing-tanks by omitting the valve D or leaving itpermanently closed and providing the usual filling-cock for admitting a continuous stream of water to flow into the tank.

I claim as my invention the following-defined novel features, substantially as hereinbefore specified, namely:

1. In a flushing-tank, the combination of a siphon B, an air-valve 0, applied thereto, a starting-valve D, a ball-cock H for refilling the tank, a float F for operating said ballcock, and an adjustable mechanical connection between said float and air-valve, adapted upon the descent of the float to a greater or shorter distance to open the air-valve and admit air to break the siphon.

2. In a flushing-tank, the combination of a siphon B, an air-valve 0, applied thereto, a float F, mounted to rise and fall in the tank, and an adjustable mechanical connection between said float and air-valve, consisting of a lever G, connected to the air-valve, and a movable piece G, adjustable relatively to said lever and carrying a projecting part arranged to be encountered and depressed by the float in its descent.

3. In a flushing-tank, the combination of a siphon B, an outlet-valve D for starting the outflow, an operating-lever f, connected to said valve, an air-valve 0', applied to said siphon above the water-level, a ball-cock H for refilling the tank, a float F for operating said ball-cock, having a stem E connecting it thereto, an adjustable mechanical connection between said float and air-valve, consisting of a lever G, connected to the air-valve, a sliding piece G, movable relatively to said lever, with an adjusting-screw for fastening it thereto, and a stop consisting of a pin 11, projecting from said arm beneath the stem E of the float in position to be encountered thereby and depressed upon the descent of the float, and thereby to open the air-valve.

mounted to rise and fall in the tank and connected to said air-valve, so that upon its descent to a predetermined level it lifts said air-valve and admits air to the siphon.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS C. BEAUMONT.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. FRASER, CHARLES K. FRASER, 

